5o8 



NATURE 



{Sept. 25, 1879 



rest. By these experiments Dr. Andrews cleared up the 

 whole question of the liquefaction of gases by the 

 separate or combined actions of cold and pressure. It 

 is not too much to say that all the essential par- 

 ticulars as to apparatus and mode of working, by 

 ■which two years ago the liquefaction of oxygen, 

 and even of hydrogen, was effected simultaneously in 

 France and in Switzerland, are to be found in Dr. 

 Andrews's papers. It is to be regretted that the state of 

 his health did not enable him to reap for himself (as he 

 unquestionably would have done) this stril<ing result of 

 his beautiful investigations. But, after all, he has the 

 credit of Adams or Leverrier, he pointed out how and 

 ■where, with certainty, to find the hitherto unknown ; and 

 his glory is none the less that a Challis and a Galle, 

 better provided with the requisite instrumental means, 

 actually obtained the result. The mere fact of the lique- 

 faction of o.xygen, or the solidification of hydrogen, though 

 very important in itself, is only one legitimate and inevit- 

 able consequence of Dr. Andrews's previous results ; but 

 it is vastly more easy of apprehension by the general 

 public. But in the eye of science the demonstration that 

 it is possible for matter to be made to pass by continuous 

 stages from the gaseous to the liquid conditions forms 

 one of the very greatest discoveries of even the nineteenth 

 century. 



" Such is the man whom, for the last half-century, we 

 have had unostentatiously dwelling among us, prosecuting 

 the labours that are only possible to the most exalted 

 intellects of our race. Now that he goes into compara- 

 tive retirement, there will be surely some means adopted 

 of recognising in a permanent form connected with the 

 college what it owes to him and to his great reputation." 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



We learn from Oran that the French officers of the 

 Staff in Algeria perceived for the first time on September 9 

 the electric light from the Spanish station of Tetica, at a 

 distance of 272 kilometres. Commandant Perrier, director 

 of the Algerian Survey, was enabled to measure one angle 

 of the triangle, and the other having been measured from 

 the Algerian station on the mountains, the operation may 

 be considered as having been quite completed, and the 

 junction of the Algerian network with the European trian- 

 gulation an accomplished fact. 



At the meeting of the International Geodetical Associa- 

 tion at Geneva no delegates are reported as having been 

 sent from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, 

 England, or Turkey. France, who resisted during the 

 lifetime of Leverrier, sent MIVI. Charles Sainte Claire- 

 Deville, Faye, and Yvon Villarceau. Not only was 

 Germany represented by Professors Peters and Rhumkers, 

 but Saxony by M. Bruhns, and Bavaria by M. Baurnfeind. 

 Spain sent General Ibanez, Belgium Col. Adams, Russia 

 General Forsch, Austria Prof. Oppolzer, Italy General 

 Mayo, Prof. Respighi, Col. Ferrera, and Major Maggia ; 

 Switzerland had two representatives, Professors Hirsch 

 and Plantamour, the head of the Geneva Observatory. 

 The session was inaugurated by reading the report by M. 

 Deville on experiments made by himself and M. Mascart, 

 the director of the Central Bureau of French Meteorology, 

 for the construction of the irido-platinum international 

 metre. 



M. Tyaghin, an officer of the Russian Navy, who went 

 in July of last year to Novaya Zemlya with his wife, a 

 child, and three servants to winter at the life-station 

 organised on the island, has just returned to Archangelse. 

 All are well, and the little family has been increased by a 

 new-born child. The winter was not severe, the greatest 

 cold having been only — 29°"i Celsius ; and on August i, 

 when M. Tyaghin left Novaya Zemlya, the thermometer 

 rose as high as 16°. The five Samoyede families who 

 were sent to the same station are well, but one old man 



of more than sixty years and two others died from scurvy, 

 and M. Tyaghin explains their death by the circumstance 

 that they never went out of their dwelling and did not 

 follow his recommendations. The hunting was good 

 throughout the winter. 



The Russian Ministries of War and of Public Com- 

 munications had resolved to send this year no less than 

 three expeditions for the exploration of the old bed of 

 the Amu-darya, and for researches as to the possibility of 

 a water-communication between this river and the Caspian. 

 The troubles in the Turcoman steppes hindered the 

 starting of two of the expeditions which were to explore 

 the steppes between Khiva and Krasnovodsk, and their 

 departure has been postponed until January next. The 

 third expedition has already started, and it is now engaged 

 in the exploration of the Amu Darya River, and of its 

 delta. 



M. SlBIRYAKOFF publishes in Russian papers a telegram 

 which he has received from Capt. Glaso, who tried this 

 summer to enter the Kara Sea, and sail to the mouth of 

 the Yenisei, on board the steamer Samuel Owen. All 

 three 1 assages, the Matochkin, the Kara, and the Yugor 

 Straits, were encumbered with ice, and Capt. Glaso 

 returned on August 26 without attempting the passage 

 around the northern extremity of Novaya Zemlya. 



On July 28 last Dr. Gerhard Rohlfs' expedition left the 

 Oasis of Batifal, situated at some twenty-eight kilometre ; 

 distance from Djalo, in order to reach the northernmos: 

 Oasis of Siren in seven days, and Istat, the principal 

 place in the southern Oasis of Kebalo, in the Kafni 

 Group in twelve days. Dr. Rohlfs expected to arrive at 

 Wadai in the middle of October. This results from a 

 letter written by his companion. Dr. Stecker, to Prof, 

 von Hochstetter, of Vienna. Another letter, written to a 

 friend at Prague, states that Dr. Rohlfs will leave the 

 expedition either at Wadai or even at Kafra, and returji 

 to Europe. Dr. Stecker will then continue the journey 

 alone. It will be remembered that Dr. Rohlfs had alread,. 

 resolved to resign the leadership, but on second thoughts 

 decided to remain. His final resignation is much to be 

 regretted. 



The Imperial Geographical Society of St. Petersburjj 

 intends to form a connection with other institutions of the 

 Russian Empire with a view of editing, in conjunction 

 with them, a general description of Siberia with maps 

 and plans, upon the occasion of the approaching ter- 

 centenary of the occupation of Siberia by the Russians. < 

 The Society ■will undertake the purely geographical part 

 of the work and will also publish a bibliographical revie^v 

 of all other works on Siberia hitherto published. 



The International Society for ' the exploration cf 

 Equatorial Africa is very busy opening commercial rela- 

 tions between the settlements at the mouth of the CongT 

 River and the interior. A few weeks ago the steamer 

 Barga left Antwerp with European merchandise for this 

 purpose. The steamer also takes out three small steara 

 launches, a small steamer which will hold about thirty 

 passengers, and three large goods-barges. By means of 

 these the lower cataracts and rapids of the Congo will 

 doubtless soon be reached. It is intended to establish 

 stores at that point on both banks of the river. The 

 question then will be to make a road along the river up to 

 that point, where it again becomes navigable. 



The Imperial " Leopoldinisch-Carolinische " German 

 Academy of Naturalists at Halle, which possesses the riglit 

 of conferring doctor-diplomas, has lately bestowed this 

 honourable distinction upon the three eminent travellers, 

 Julius Payer, Karl Weyprecht, and Henry M. Stanley. 



The Berlin Geographical Society will celebrate the 

 centenary of the birth of Karl Ritter, ■ft'hich happened on 

 August 7, 1779, after the vacation, i.e. in October next. 



